Christmas one-shot
by XlittlefallingstarX
Summary: A late Christmas one-shot featuring Mako and Bolin while they were on the streets. Based on "The Gift of the Magi."


Submission for round 5 of the Probending Contest

Words: 1313

Prompts:

Easy: joyous/mittens | Medium: dancing | Hard: romance/"Christmas isn't a season, it's a feeling"

* * *

Mako tugged at his mittens with numb fingers, trying to hike them up to cover his wrists. These were the pair his parents had given to him before they died, and they were already too small for his growing hands. It seemed like all his clothes were too small these days, come to think of of it.

He adjusted his father's red scarf over his nose and exhaled, savoring the warm air that bounced off the fabric and back onto his frozen cheeks. At least he'd never outgrow this.

Mako slipped a hand into the pocket of his pants and smiled as his fingers brushed over the smooth, sleek card nestled inside. He'd bought the probending trading card with his first earnings from joining the Triple Threats. He should have purchased himself better clothing or some food, but he could buy those with the money he earned from the gang later on. It was Christmas Eve, after all, and this card was the only one Bolin needed to complete his Probending trading card collection. His little brother needed a gift and an excuse to act like a ten-year-old kid.

Mako sighed and slipped his hand from his pocket in order to run his hands over his freezing arms for warmth. He just wished he hadn't had to join the Triple Threats to get it. Mako knew they were trouble, but he had to do what he had to do. Mako winced as he remembered showing Viper his firebending moves.

 _"And this is the breath of fire, see?" Mako exhaled a tiny patch of flames from his mouth and beamed proudly. "I'm still working on it, but-"_

 _"But nothing, kid! I don't want to see any of that fancy traditional firebending, ever. All I need you to know is how to blast someone with a fireball, nice n' simple. Two Toed Ping over there can show you how to get the most power and fire from your blows."_

 _Viper jabbed a finger at Mako's chest, sending him stumbling back a step. "If I ever see you playing around with fancy firebending techniques, you're out of the gang, understand? I only hire serious benders who don't mess around with useless tricks."_

 _Mako bowed his head. "Y-yes, sir."_

"Hand over the money, princess." Mako snapped from the memory and whirled around at the voice coming from behind him. Three boys were crowding around a girl who looked about the same age as Mako's twelve years.

The girl clutched her purse to her chest and backed up. "I need this money to buy a Christmas gift for my father. Back off."

The boy in the center laughed. "You're doing this the hard way, huh?" With that, he raised his fist to hit her, but the blow never hit home. Mako lunged towards the group and snatched the boy's arm, using it to whirl him around and punch him square in the face.

The boy crumpled to the ground with an overly-loud howl even as a second boy kicked Mako in the stomach. Mako doubled over for just a moment, then shot back up and slammed him into the wall with a kick fueled by a blast of fire.

He turned to face the third boy, only to find that the girl had already taken him down. Mako looked at the three boys curled up on the street, moaning and whimpering. He grinned shyly at the girl. "These guys are all bark and no bite."

"Tell me about it." The girl tossed her shiny black locks over her shoulder and smiled at him as she stepped over one of the boys and held out her hand. "I'm Asami."

"Err, Mako." Mako blushed as he took ahold of her hand and shook it. "Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah." Asami smiled, and her bright green eyes sparked in amusement. "I had the situation under control, but I appreciate the help anyway."

Mako blinked. What kind of girl was this? "Umm, right."

"Well, I have to get going. My dad doesn't know that I'm out on my own, and he'll freak out if I'm not back soon."

Mako found that he couldn't form coherent sentences or do much of anything besides gaze at her beautiful face. "Err, okay. Walk safe."

"I will." The girl leaned forward and gave him a little peck on his cheek. "Thanks again." With that, she was gone.

Mako turned scarlet red as he took off towards the street he and Bolin were staying at, a sheepish grin plastered on his face. When he arrived, he found Bolin standing under a window with a catchy Christmas beat pouring out of it from a radio inside. He was dancing with reckless abandon like the goofball that he was.

Mako laughed and shook his head. "Merry Christmas, little bro."

"It's Christmas Eve, dummy," Bolin laughed. "I can't wait to give you your present tomorrow, so I'm giving it to you now." Bolin reached into his coat and produced a rectangle wrapped in newspaper.

Mako's eyes widened. "Bo, you didn't have to do this. How did you get the cash to...?"

Bolin waved away Mako's comments as he bounced up and down excitedly. "It doesn't matter, just open it."

Mako tore away the newspaper to reveal a large red book with golden trim. TRADITIONAL FIREBENDING TECHNIQUES was etched across the front in a bold font. Mako's throat tightened with emotion. He wouldn't be able to use this, not now. But the fact that Bolin had thought to get it...

Bolin's bouncing had turned into full-on jumping up and down. "Doyouloveitdoyouloveitdoyouloveit?"

"It's the best present I could have asked for... exactly what I wanted." Mako pulled his little brother into a warm hug as tears threatened to spill from his eyes.

After a moment, he pulled away and reached into his pocket. "I didn't have time to wrap it, but I got you something too." Mako tugged out the card and pressed it into Bolin's upturned palm. "It's that last card you needed. I found it at..." Mako trailed off as Bolin's eyes widened, then tears began to pour down his cheeks.

Mako put his hand on his little brother's shoulder in panicked concern as a line of snot dripped from Bolin's nose. "Did I do something wrong? Is it the wrong one? Are you-"

Bolin cut him off by throwing his arms around Mako's waist as his shoulders shook with sobs. "I l-l-love it, Mako, b-b-but..." Bolin tilted his head up towards his brother and moaned, "I traded my card set for the book!"

Mako gasped softly, then murmured, "Oh, Bolin..."

Bolin swiped at his face and pulled away before squaring his shoulders. "I-its okay. I can start collecting again."

Mako ruffled his little brother's hair. "That's the spirit. C'mon, let's get some sleep." Mako ducked under the cloth they had set up like a kind of tent and leaned back against the wall of the stand they had set it up against. Bolin followed suit and nestled next to his big brother.

There were a couple beats of silence, then, "Mako?"

"Yeah, Bolin?"

"The man on the radio said that Christmas is supposed to be the most joyous, happy season of the year with cookies and hot chocolate and Christmas trees... is it really Christmas if we don't have all that? If we don't have hardly anything?"

"Of course it is. Christmas isn't a season, it's a feeling. It's being with your family and knowing you're loved, no matter how much or how little you have."

"I like that. Mako?"

"Mm?"

"How did you get so smart?"

"I have a little brother who gives me amazing books so I can learn."

"Oh yeah." Bolin let out a sleepy yawn. "That... makes... sense." Within moments, he was snoring in peaceful slumber. Mako smiled.

This hadn't been too bad of a Christmas after all.


End file.
